Terrorists may overun Nigeria, 346 killed in Plateau
- Group accuses government of complicit silence
Resumption of killing in some communities in Plateau State means that terrorists operating in the country may expand their killing fields in no distant time.
Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation which raised the alarm in the weekn also said that constant attacks and consequent mass displacement would further make tens of thousands of women and children vulnerable to constant and routine attacks.
In throwing the data of post election violence clashes in the country the foundation declared that some 346 people, mostly men, have been killed in Plateau State alone since the conclusion of the 2023 general election in which two Muslims emerged President and Vice President respectively.
The killings, the group stated, were carried out against villagers within the past three months in eight Local Government Areas of Plateau State; adding that Mangu LGA alone suffered over 200 killings withn the period.
It added that the attacks also displaced over 18,751 vulnerable people who now reside in 14 camps raised for Internally Displaced People (IDP) in the state.
Executive Director of the foundation, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, stated that between April and July, some 6,603 households were attacked; resulting 17 people being killed in Bokkos, 234 in Mangu;39 in Barkin Ladi; and 36 in Riyom. He added that five were killed in Jos North; nine in Jos Slouth; five in Mikang; and one Bassa.
The killings, he said, displaced the remaining members of the attacked villages, adding that 14 IDP camps hosted by the Church of Christ in Nations Local Church Councils, currently habour 2,081 widows and 6,066 infant orphans of less than five years old.
Also in the camps, according to him, are 1,057 old persons and 828 adult orphans.
The foundation lead declared that federal security forces and political leaders of the people have done nothing to stop the killings, warning that the privilege accorded the terrorists to kill Nigerians in Mangu council area of the state would embolden them to spread the violence to other parts of the country,
“Take it or leave it, a foundation to full blown nation-wide terrorism is being laid. No country should localize and allow acts of terror on its citizens. Whatever the motivation behind these attacks on the Plateau, the fact remains – people are being killed in their hundreds.
“The burden of these killings should not rest only on the shoulders of the new Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Muftwang. The burden should not also rest only on the shoulders of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In fact, the burden rests on the shoulders of all Nigerians. The MDAs have a role to play in the search for peace and so also Miyetti Allah in seeking an end to the killings and finding ways to save lives and property.
“There is wisdom in collective action devoid of finger pointing or political calculations. The lives of all the citizens of Mangu LGA residents matters.
“What is happening in Plateau State has impact on Nigeria. What more, what is happening in Nigeria has global consequences in the medium and long-run. It is time to act and stop localizing Plateau’s killings fields. The time to put an end to violence in Plateau State and Nigeria is now,” he argued.
